At the Advanced Services Group, we are passionate about servitization and proud of the success our partners and customers achieve as they grow, compete and lead through service-led innovation.
The Advanced Services Group is a world-leading team of experts devoted to helping manufacturers and technology innovators succeed through service-led growth. Led by Professor Tim Baines, the foremost global scholar on servitization and co-author of Servitization Strategy, we combine deep expertise and industry experience with genuine passion for making a difference, guiding businesses to move beyond products and achieve lasting success through advanced services.
Founded in 2011 at Aston Business School as a pioneering research centre, the Advanced Services Group has evolved into a globally recognised authority and thriving advisory. Our mission is to accelerate industrial transformation, empowering manufacturers to thrive through outcome-based business models. We believe servitization is key to tackling industry’s biggest challenges and driving growth, resilience and long-term success for our customers.
The Advanced Services Group journey began in 2012 with the creation of the Centre for Servitization Research and Practice at Aston Business School, where we combined academic rigour with hands-on support. A three-year ERDF-funded programme helped West Midlands SMEs begin their transformation to service-led models, directly shaping both our research and our advisory philosophy.
That following year, Professors Tim Baines and Howard Lightfoot published Made to Serve. This was a landmark book that laid out the case for manufacturers to move beyond products and embrace outcome-based thinking. It became a rallying point for change, sparking conversations in boardrooms and factories alike.
In 2015, we launched the Advanced Services Group Ltd as the commercial and impact arm of the Centre, and launched the Advanced Services Partnership with a first roundtable in Amsterdam. As more manufacturing firms joined us, it became clear: servitization wasn’t just an opportunity, it was a necessary move.
From 2017 onwards, we codified the path to service transformation, developing proven frameworks, hands-on tools and practical guides to support executives through every stage of the servitization journey.
Even amidst the disruption of COVID-19, our conviction never wavered. We cemented our global presence by hosting the World Servitization Convention (2020) and Servitization Live (2021), bringing together industry leaders to explore new models for growth and resilience.
In 2024, Professors Tim Baines, Ali Z. Bigdeli and Kawal Kapoor published Servitization Strategy, distilling over a decade of industry insights and academic research. The companion Servitization Playbook now serves as a practical guide for executive teams leading the move towards advanced services.
Today, ASG is the leading advisory for manufacturing and technology firms who want to compete through services, not just products. We believe deeply in the power of servitization to solve some of industry’s most pressing challenges, from stagnating margins and customer retention to long-term sustainability and innovation. With a growing team of experts and a proven track record across sectors and continents, we deliver advisory, capability development and training designed to create real impact: for businesses and for the wider economy.
Our strength lies in real-world experience. We ensure that this experience informs all of our work with hundreds of organisations to deliver transformation that works in practice.
We bring unmatched academic rigour and industry knowledge to every partnership and project, delivering practical solutions that create measurable business outcomes.
We are the global leader in servitization research and practice as judged by both industrial and academic communities. This is something we are enormously proud of and work hard to uphold.
We don’t just advise our clients. ASG walks alongside senior leaders as a trusted ally in shaping and executing service-led strategies. We build enduring, long-term relationships with our clients. Our team is committed to helping our clients nurture and scale innovative business models and supporting them in transforming their international business operations.
We help businesses compete through advanced services, blending academic research, industry insight and practical frameworks. Our work is grounded in the Advanced Services Transformation Roadmap – a proven pathway with four stages: Exploration, Engagement, Expansion and Exploitation. Whether you need short-term support or long-term transformation, our team guides you and your business every step of the way toward outcome-based services.
Businesses choose ASG because we deliver transformation that works in practice, not just theory. Our expertise is grounded in hundreds of real-world Advisory, combining rigorous research with measurable outcomes. Recognised globally as the leading authority on servitization, we define success by the results we achieve together. Unlike one-off consultants, we build long-term partnerships, walking alongside leaders as trusted allies to shape and execute strategies that drive lasting change.
Every transformation is shaped by four forces: market-centric, technology-centric, value network-centric and organisational maturity-centric. By recognising where you are in this landscape, we design tailored interventions that accelerate your business’s journey. Our research-led tools, frameworks and training programmes provide structure, whilst outcome-based contracts ensure accountability. In true servitization spirit, our team succeeds when you succeed.
Our expert team is made up of researchers, practitioners and business transformation pioneers.
Professor Tim Baines is recognised globally as the foremost authority on servitization and advanced services. He combines academic rigour with real-world impact, dedicating his career to helping manufacturers move beyond products to create powerful, customer-centric solutions that drive growth, resilience and sustainability.
Beginning his career as an apprentice in manufacturing, Tim spent a decade in industry before moving into academia. This hands-on experience gives him a deep personal understanding of the challenges leaders face when reimagining their business models, and fuels his commitment to providing practical, relevant and actionable guidance.
Tim has published more than 300 research papers, authored numerous books and is the writer of the acclaimed Made to Serve.
His most recent book, Servitization Strategy: Delivering Customer-Centric Outcomes through Business Model Innovation, distils over a decade of research and collaboration with world-leading firms such as Tetra Pak, Rolls-Royce, Xerox and Goodyear. Hailed as “the definitive guide” to servitization and advanced services, it blends cutting-edge insight with proven approaches to help companies achieve lasting transformation.
Driven by a passion for advancing industry for the benefit of companies, economies and society, Tim continues to work closely with both multinational and local manufacturers. Whether in the boardroom, on the shop floor or at global conferences, he is an inspiring advocate for the role that innovative services can play in shaping a more competitive, sustainable industrial future.
Paula is the Managing Director of the Advanced Services Group, leading the organisation in its mission to help manufacturers transform through servitization and business model innovation. She drives the growth of the Advanced Services Partnership and ensures ASG continues to be the trusted authority for companies seeking to compete and thrive through services.
Her career has spanned sectors including automotive, food and drink and robotics, giving her extensive experience of working with both global multinationals and ambitious SMEs. Paula is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry, taking world-class research and translating it into practical tools, frameworks and guidance that deliver measurable results.
Under her leadership, ASG continues to expand its reach and impact, empowering manufacturers to achieve service-led growth that strengthens competitiveness, resilience and sustainability for industry and the wider economy.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-cresswell-9254a743/
Ali is Professor of Industrial Service Innovation at Aston Business School and a Director of the Advanced Services Group. A recognised authority in service-led business model innovation, he helps manufacturers move from selling products to delivering customer outcomes that fuel growth, resilience and sustainability.
Ali has worked with more than 100 multinational corporations and SMEs across regional, national and international markets. He has delivered over 50 workshops designed to accelerate the adoption of advanced services and servitization, inspiring leadership teams with the tools and confidence to act.
He is co-author of Servitization Strategy and co-chairs the annual Spring Servitization Conference, the leading academic event on this topic. What drives Ali is a deep belief that service-led innovation can transform the future of manufacturing, and he is passionate about helping leaders turn that potential into reality.
Andreas is Professor of Digital Strategy and Services Innovation at Lancaster University Management School, where he leads servitization research. His work bridges the fields of Operations Management and Information Systems, with a strong focus on shaping organisational practices and driving business transformation.
His research explores how digital technologies enable servitization, the transition of manufacturers from product-focused models to competing through advanced, high-value services. He is particularly interested in the effective integration of IT, operational technologies and AI in unlocking the value of data and supporting new business models.
Andreas works closely with industry partners to ensure research is applied in practice. He thrives on turning technological innovation into strategies that manufacturers can act on, helping them reimagine how they create and capture value in a digital, service-led economy.
Kawal leads research for the Advanced Services Partnership, helping global businesses unlock growth by transforming their models from product-focused to service-led. Working at the intersection of academia and industry, she publishes in leading journals, authors books and develops hands-on workshops and practitioner guides that inspire executives to put new ideas into action.
Her expertise spans advanced services, service business models, ecosystems and the diffusion of product and service innovations. She works directly with business leaders to explore strategies, challenge assumptions and translate complex research into real competitive advantage.
Passionate about bridging theory and practice, Kawal brings together diverse perspectives to tackle real-world challenges. She is committed to making research accessible and impactful, sparking conversations that drive change and showing how advanced services can reshape the way companies think about value.
Ian is a Director of the Advanced Services Group, where he leads the commercial operation that helps manufacturers grow revenues through the adoption of service-led strategies. Drawing on four decades of experience in manufacturing, he has developed deep expertise in supply chain, strategy and continuous improvement, as well as working with private equity and venture capital organisations.
Over the course of his career, Ian has supported businesses of all sizes in rethinking their operations and building stronger commercial models. His perspective combines practical industry knowledge with a clear understanding of financial and strategic drivers.
What energises Ian is seeing manufacturers unlock new value through servitization, using advanced services to move beyond traditional models and achieve lasting business success.
Ahmad is Associate Professor of Service Operations and Innovation Management at Aston Business School and a core member of the Advanced Services Group. He works with manufacturers of all sizes to help them move from product-led approaches to customer-focused, digital and sustainable strategies.
His expertise lies in design and innovation, with a particular focus on researching the application of digital technologies and human-centred design to create outcome-based service business models. He has received funding for research on digital twins, 3D printing and outcome-based services in contexts as diverse as social care, aerospace and domestic appliances.
Passionate about bridging research and practice, Ahmad translates complex findings into practical insights. His current work includes using history based digital storytelling to communicate actionable insights for digital transformation.
Jo is Financial Controller at the Advanced Services Group, responsible for all aspects of financial operations and governance. She ensures resources are managed with accuracy and transparency, providing a strong foundation for ASG’s growth and long-term sustainability.
With extensive experience in financial management, Jo has expertise in budgeting, reporting and strategic planning. Her careful stewardship enables ASG to invest confidently in research, advisory programmes and industry engagement, helping manufacturers accelerate their servitization journey. By aligning robust financial discipline with ASG’s mission, Jo plays a vital role in helping manufacturers realise the benefits of servitization and service-led innovation.
Chris is an Honorary Professor with the Advanced Services Group. As Vice President of Services for Thales Land and Air Systems, he has led a major transformation of global service operations, driving sustained growth and embedding servitization at the heart of the business.
Under his leadership, Land and Air Systems Services activity has expanded significantly, delivering more than €1 billion in annual sales with consistent growth. He also spearheaded the development of digital applications and advanced service solutions that continue to shape the company’s global strategy.
Chris brings deep expertise in leading complex transformations and delivering sustainable service-led growth.
Paul is a Visiting Professor at Aston Business School and the Advanced Services Group, where he shares his expertise on servitization and advanced service contracts. Alongside this role, he is Principal of ANSENresearch, a consulting partnership that connects funders and manufacturers to move beyond equipment performance and deliver the value-added outcomes customers demand.
Previously, Paul spent over four decades with JCB Finance Ltd, serving as CEO for 10 years until his retirement in 2022. During this time, he also chaired the Asset Finance Division of the Finance & Leasing Association and sat on its Board of Directors. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and holds an Honorary Fellowship at the London Institute of Banking and Finance.
His contribution has been widely recognised, including the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award by Asset Finance Connect.
Kristina leads Marketing and Communications at the Advanced Services Group, ensuring our research, advisory services and training programmes reach and resonate with the business, manufacturing and academic communities we support. She manages our programme of webinars and digital engagement, creating opportunities for leaders to connect with the latest thinking on servitization and advanced services.
By turning complex research into clear, compelling content, Kristina makes insights accessible to business audiences and helps manufacturers to see practical opportunities for service-led growth.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-anders-284a8a10/
Mike is a Visiting Professor at the Advanced Services Group, bringing decades of leadership experience in engineering, operations and services. He began his career at British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield before joining Alstom in 2001, where he went on to hold senior roles including UK&I Rolling Stock Managing Director and Vice President UK&I Services.
At Alstom, Mike was instrumental in introducing advanced service contracts, such as the availability-based agreement with Avanti on the West Coast Mainline. He also drove the adoption of digital tools and processes to improve service operations, enhancing both efficiency and passenger value.
Since leaving Alstom in 2024, Mike has supported ASG and its clients in progressing their servitization journey, applying his expertise to help manufacturers embrace new service models with confidence.
Antonio is Lecturer in Operations Management at Aston Business School and a member of the Advanced Services Group. His research examines how value networks, sustainability and artificial intelligence can strengthen servitization and open new possibilities for manufacturers.
He has supervised PhD students from leading European institutions, co-authoring research that deepens understanding of advanced services. He supervises Doctor of Business Administration candidates on topics related to service operations, and leads a Knowledge Transfer Partnership guiding a manufacturer from a traditional local producer to a global, solution-oriented provider.
Antonio earned his PhD and MSc in Management Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. He is motivated by the challenge of showing how servitization can connect technology, sustainability and business strategy to reshape the future of manufacturing.
Chris is an Associate Professorial Teaching Fellow at Aston Business School and a Servitization Mentor with the Advanced Services Group. He works directly with executives to help them navigate the move to advanced services. He has supported organisations such as Thales LAS for many years, guiding leaders through the practical challenges of building service-led strategies.
Before joining Aston Business School in 2011, Chris built a career that combined industry and consulting. At PwC he advised global clients on operations and supply chains, and earlier he held senior roles in the aerospace sector, gaining first-hand knowledge of the pressures manufacturers face.
Chris thrives on enabling leaders to think differently about their business models. He brings clarity to complex challenges and takes pride in helping companies embed servitization in ways that deliver lasting impact.
Dipti is a Research Fellow at the Advanced Services Group, where she leads dissemination and industry engagement. She designs and delivers focused group events across the UK, bringing manufacturers together to share experiences and create pathways for adopting servitization. Her current research explores how advanced services influence economic productivity and environmental performance.
She completed her industrial PhD on uncertainty in advanced services from the perspective of service network actors, producing insights that bridged academic research and business application. This background enables her to work confidently at the intersection of theory and practice.
She is passionate about building communities around servitization and enabling firms to unlock the value of service-led growth. Before her PhD, Dipti worked as a Business Analyst and holds a degree in engineering.
Tom is a Visiting Professor to the Advanced Services Group and former Group Director of Services Strategy at Rolls-Royce. He brings extensive experience at the highest levels of digital and services transformation, having played a pivotal role in redefining how one of the world’s leading manufacturers delivers value through services.
At Rolls-Royce, Tom led the development of services strategy and oversaw the company’s move to a service-oriented organisational structure. He was instrumental in major initiatives including digital transformation, financing of service assets, and the adoption of platform business models. He also placed services at the heart of the company’s sustainability strategy.
Tom now applies this experience to support ASG’s mission, helping manufacturers place advanced services at the centre of competitive and sustainable growth.
Des, former Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd is a passionate advocate of servitization in the transport industry. Together with the UK MAN Team, he transformed the business model of MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd and helped the company become one of the country’s leading providers of advanced after sales and fleet management services for the haulage industry. His knowledge of what does and doesn’t work in practice, as well as tools, techniques and tips for implementing services strategies are key assets to ASG’s work with industry.
Zoe is the Partnership and Projects Coordinator at the Advanced Services Group, ensuring the smooth delivery of all activities within the Advanced Services Partnership. She curates and organises a dynamic calendar of events, from keynote webinars and online assemblies to our three flagship roundtable gatherings held in person each year.
Her role extends beyond events to coordinating the successful delivery of projects, including training programmes in servitization and advanced services that equip manufacturers with the tools to innovate and grow. Zoe brings structure, energy and attention to detail, enabling our partners and clients to focus on achieving meaningful outcomes.
Before joining ASG, Zoe built her career in recruitment and LinkedIn research, experience that honed her organisational skills and her ability to connect people and opportunities. Today, she applies that same expertise to supporting manufacturers on their journey towards service-led growth, driven by a passion for making industry more resilient, customer-focused and future-ready.
Gill is Project Manager and Impact Coordinator at the Advanced Services Group, where she oversees research projects that connect servitization with wider economic and environmental goals. She manages the ESRC-funded programme Understanding how servitization can impact UK economic productivity and environmental performance, working with colleagues from Aston’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute and Warwick Business School.
An experienced manager, Gill has held roles in manufacturing industries and in research and marketing management across leading UK universities. This combination gives her a practical perspective on how academic research can be translated into business and policy impact. Gill is driven by the challenge of turning evidence into action, ensuring that servitization research delivers tangible benefits for industry and society.
Iain is Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Advanced Services Group, where he is responsible for building long-term collaborations with industry and securing investment to expand the impact of servitization and advanced services. He works closely with executives to ensure that partnerships generate real value, both for individual companies and for the wider economy.
With extensive experience in industrial engagement, Iain understands the importance of trust and shared ambition in driving transformation. He has a proven track record of connecting research expertise with business needs, helping manufacturers accelerate their move to service-led strategies.
Iain is motivated by the opportunity to create relationships that make a difference, enabling manufacturers to innovate through servitization and strengthen their competitiveness for the future.
Raveen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Advanced Services Group at Aston Business School, working on a UKRI ESRC-funded programme examining how servitization influences UK economic productivity and environmental performance. His research sits at the intersection of operations management, behavioural operations and sustainable service innovation, combining empirical studies, behavioural experiments and case-based research.
He collaborates closely with businesses, policymakers and academic partners to generate evidence that informs both industrial practice and public policy. His work has been published in leading journals, including Production and Operations Management and the Journal of Cleaner Production.
Raveen is dedicated to translating research into action. Through workshops, roundtables and conferences, he helps industry leaders and policymakers understand how service-led growth can support a more sustainable and competitive economy.
Yang is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Digital Transformation and Business Intelligence at Aston Business School. Her research examines business model innovation in the digital economy and value creation through digital transformation. To ensure her research generates real-world impact, Yang collaborates extensively with businesses and organisations in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors.
She has secured £1.3 million in funding from ESRC, NIHR, Innovate UK, and industry partners, enabling her to address pressing challenges at the intersection of theory and practice. Her funded projects have explored themes such as decarbonising healthcare through the servitization of medical equipment manufacturers, developing digital and shared-care business models in healthcare, and strengthening the business case for digital adoption in manufacturing. These engagements have enabled her to actively support, shape, and drive servitization and digital transformation in practice.
Sasha is Senior Industrial Fellow at Aston Business School and the Advanced Services Group. He brings more than 22 years of senior leadership experience with Tetra Pak, where he played a pivotal role in shaping service-led growth, innovation and transformation on a global scale.
Throughout his career, Sasha has been instrumental in developing outcome-based service solutions that redefined how value is delivered to customers. His leadership supported Tetra Pak’s strategic development, helping to embed advanced services at the heart of its business model and enabling sustainable, profitable growth.
Sasha’s expertise lies in turning strategy into practice, guiding organisations through complex change and demonstrating how servitization can deliver competitive advantage. He continues to champion service innovation as a powerful driver of industrial transformation.
Sandra is a Senior Industrial Fellow with the Advanced Services Group and a business consultant based in Germany. She has extensive experience in and passion for accelerating company transformation through business model innovation and technology adoption. As Programme Manager for the Advanced Services Growth programme, she supported 80 UK-based SMEs to boost GVA by £19.2M and create 70 new jobs.
Sandra supports ASG’s advisory services across Europe, delivering organisational development workshops, executive education and commissioned projects. As an Enterprise Educator and Business Mentor, she has advised more than 500 senior executives and founders, applying expertise in business ideation, lean start-up, customer value proposition design and business model innovation.
She is also an International Telecommunication Union Digital Innovation Expert, working with governments worldwide to strengthen ICT-centric innovation ecosystems. Sandra holds an MBA with distinction from Aston University.
Ian is a Visiting Industrial Fellow at the Advanced Services Group, bringing more than 20 years of senior management experience in growing service businesses within the food manufacturing industry. Over the last 15 years, he has focused on service innovation, driving the shift from product support to advanced, outcome-based solutions through servitization.
Since 2008, Ian has held a series of global leadership roles with Tetra Pak, including Director Expert Services and Director of Service Solutions. In these positions, he designed advanced service strategies, built global organisational capabilities and deployed solutions that created measurable value for customers around the world.
Ian is motivated by the opportunity to help manufacturers unlock new ways of competing, showing how advanced services can deliver stronger, more sustainable business performance.
Shriram is a Doctoral Researcher in the Operations and Service Management Department at Aston Business School and a member of the Advanced Services Group. His research explores how servitization strategies can enhance the economic and environmental performance of organisations in the healthcare sector.
In his recent role as an Advisor at ASG, Shriram worked directly with executives from a range of industrial firms. He guided leaders in developing outcome-based business models and advanced services, delivering workshops, presentations and advisory sessions that helped organisations understand and apply servitization strategies.
With a background in chemical engineering, an MBA in Service Innovation and professional experience in a multinational equipment manufacturer, Shriram combines technical and managerial expertise to accelerate the adoption of advanced services.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shriram-dusane/
As Founder and Managing Director of Koolmill, Alec has developed an innovative cereal processing technology. Koolmill is the Industrial Lead in a 2-year, £2 million Newton China Agriculture Challenge project to develop the world’s first Industry 4.0 auto-tuning, digital rice mill.
Alec sits on the IMechE Food & Drink Engineering Committee, is a Visiting Industrial Fellow and Guest Lecturer at Aston Business School, as well as designated as a Foreign Expert by the Chinese Government.
Dave graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from University College London and a Master’s in Virology from Imperial College London.
After a short stint in medical communications, Dave relocated to Singapore with Publicis Group to support P&Gs regional healthcare portfolio as a strategic planner and Dave is Director at Kaer in Singapore. He joined Kaer in 2005 to accelerate the transition to clean and renewable cooling.
With a background in FMCG marketing and two decades of experience in the real estate industry, Dave specialises in customer insights that drive Kaer’s product development roadmap and digital experience platform. As the lead of Kaer’s Customer Success team and the product owner of Kaer Connect (Kaer’s digital CX tool), Dave is responsible for delivering Kaer’s brand experience across their regional Cooling as a Service (CaaS) portfolio.
Dave is a founding member of the SET Alliance Committee and serves on the British Chamber of Commerce’s Built Environment Committee.
Dimitris is a Senior Energy Efficiency Business Developer Specialist at the Swiss organisation Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE). With more than 13 years of professional experience in the field of energy, entrepreneurship and sustainable technologies, Dimitris has experience in business model innovation, valuation principles and project execution.
Within BASE, Dimitris plays a key role in accelerating the deployment of Servitization worldwide, including the Cooling as a Service (CaaS) model.
Dimitris is part of the founding team of the Servitization for Energy Transition (SET) Alliance – aiming to further engage both private and public markets to adopt the model and accelerate the path to a more climate resilient and circular future. He holds an MEng Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College and and MSc of Management, Technology and Economics from ETH Zürich.
Paul is a Senior Industrial Fellow at Aston University and a long-standing collaborator with the Advanced Services Group. An entrepreneur with a career spanning five decades, he has founded and managed several high-growth businesses, most recently selling his main company after 27 years. Although proud of its world-leading products, he attributes much of its competitive edge and productivity to the services that surrounded them.
Paul has worked at all levels with both large multi-national organisations and SMEs across most industry sectors. His MBA studies in the United States inspired him to develop a storytelling-based framework for creating and delivering effective sales pitches.
He holds a Doctor of Business Administration. His doctoral research explored the capabilities manufacturers need for servitization, and how these can be combined to enable success.
Denise is a qualified sustainability practitioner with over 30 years of experience working with businesses in the manufacturing and construction sectors. Her work at Wylde Connections helps diverse industries create and apply sustainability strategies, ensuring businesses can meet sustainability challenges while staying commercially viable.
Her aim is to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial practice, fostering innovation in sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Let the Advanced Services Group help you and your business navigate your servitization and advanced services journey.
